Amazon FAQ

FEED PROCESSING FAQ

• What is an inventory upload?
• How do I upload inventory?
• What are the supported formats for inventory uploads?
• If I send several feeds, how do they get processed?
• How should I choose which feeds to send first? What is the ideal order to send feeds?
• Is there a recommended size for feeds?
• How often should I send my inventory feeds?
• Will sending my inventory feeds more frequently get me a better placement on the Offer Listing Page?

What is an inventory upload?

An inventory upload is the process of providing Amazon with inventory-related information such as UPC/EAN/ISBN, title, price, quantity, etc. This information enables Amazon to list your item for sale against the right product detail page in the Amazon catalog.

How do I upload inventory?

We offer Excel-based templates in different formats. You can choose the appropriate template, add your inventory information and save the data in tab-delimited text file format. This text file can then be uploaded for processing through Upload Multiple Items option in the Manage Your Inventory section from Seller Account.

What are the supported formats for inventory uploads?

An inventory upload, also called a feed, is a collection of information on listings organized in files in the following formats:

Inventory Loader format: This file format is used to add/modify/delete listings in any product category.

Price & Quantity format: This is a simpler file format used to make price and/or quantity changes to your listings in any product category.

Book Loader and UIEE formats: These file formats are used to add/modify/delete listings in the Books category.

If I send several feeds, how do they get processed?

Thousands of sellers submit thousands of inventory feeds to Amazon feed processing systems around the clock. These inventory feeds are processed in the order received. Each seller has a queue of submitted feeds and one feed must complete processing before the next feed in the queue will start processing.

How should I choose which feeds to send first? What is the ideal order to send feeds?

Price and quantity updates to your current listings are usually the most critical to make first, so if you have price and quantity changes to make as well as new products to load via an Inventory Loader feed, send the Price and Quantity feed first.

Is there a recommended size for feeds?

A large feed (e.g. large Inventory Loader file) is a feed with over 500 records. Amazon feed processing systems attempt to process each feed in parallel. The benefit of parallel processing increases with the size of the feed up to an optimal size of 30,000 records.

How often should I send my inventory feeds?

You only need to send your inventory feeds when: (a) you have additional items to list, (b) you need to change the details of an existing item (for example, change the Item Note), or (c) you need to delete items. It is possible to update price and quantity information in multiple feed formats. However, we recommend using the Price & Quantity format as updates are processed much faster using the Price & Quantity feed.

In general, avoid sending feeds more frequently than every 20 minutes as it will slow your feed processing. Large feeds (over 500 records), which will take longer to process, should be spaced farther apart.

Will sending my inventory feeds more frequently get me a better placement on the Offer Listing Page?

No! Placement on the Offer Listing Page is determined by the total cost (item price + shipping) paid by the buyer for your listing. To improve your placement on the Offer Listing Page, you need to adjust your prices downward using the Price & Quantity feed.